Who she is: Emily Balsley, illustrator
City she lives in: Madison
How to follow her: Facebook // Twitter // Pinterest
Describe your design aesthetic: Color, pattern and a bit of quirkiness define my design aesthetic. My
illustration style is hand-drawn, happy, whimsical and a bit crazy — I
am a big fan of anthropomorphizing! My wardrobe consists of lots of
bright colors, stripes and polka dots; my favorite necklace is a yellow
hippo pendant. My home decor is a mix of vintage and modern, with lots
of plants and some pom-pom trim thrown in for a boho twist.
What is your favorite Wisconsin activity? I love biking to the farmers' market with my family in the summer.
How did you get into invitation design? With my graphic design background, I have had a few opportunities to
design my friends' and family's wedding invitations (including my own!)
over the last five years. Now that I am really focusing on illustration,
I have come to realize that I can offer a very unique, organic
hand-drawn style, if that's what the couple is looking for. I love
getting to know the couple so I can truly offer them something special. I
want their guests to see the couple in their invitations — since they
are very personal, and not at all "off-the-shelf."
Say it's Saturday afternoon. What can we find you doing? I can
usually be found chilling out with my family on Saturday afternoons.
This could mean going to a matinee movie, going on a long bike ride or just
drawing on the front porch as our daughter scoots along the sidewalk. It is very important for me to prioritize family time on the weekend — I
work too hard during the week not to!
